Each of the 22 Member States [1] has a representative on the ESA Council. The Council is responsible for defining the strategy of the agency and electing a Director General every four years. The Director General shall be the chief executive officer of the Agency and its legal representative.

In October 2016, Jean-Yves La Gall and Thierry Mandon (Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research) expressed their satisfaction with the launch of an European Space Strategy.